Chapter 74: A Treacherous Shot from Behind (Third Update!)

Inherit our will, and survive! Endure for the sake of our ranking! Make it to the finals!

Hearing the reminder from his teammate, the man finally dispelled the last trace of hesitation in his heart. Yes, their goal was to reach the finals. In that fleeting instant, he made up his mind. There was no saving his teammate now, but before leaving, he felt compelled to do something.

Glancing at Yao Cheng, who was still lying on the ground, a cold sneer curled at the corner of his lips. He hadn’t finished off Yao Cheng earlier out of caution, but now that his teammate could not be rescued, he would let this man pay with his life. He couldn’t let his comrade die in vain, after all. He decided to collect a bit of interest first.

He raised his 98K, and just as he was about to pull the trigger, he caught a glimpse of a figure appearing behind Yao Cheng out of the corner of his eye, and his heart skipped a beat. Instantly, he pulled back.

Bang!

At that moment, the sharp crack of a 98K rang out—a bullet whizzed by from the direction he had just occupied. The sound made cold sweat break out all over him. Had he hesitated even a second longer, he would have found himself in dire straits again.

Hiding behind a tree, he saw that a cloud of white smoke was now rising from where Yao Cheng lay. Smoke grenades! The enemy had thrown smoke to cover their rescue! Clearly, they had seen through his intentions and weren’t giving him the chance. He sighed inwardly, knowing that he had now thoroughly roused their vigilance. If he continued to try for a kill, the other one with the M24 would surely not let him go. He couldn’t take the risk. For now, he’d have to forgo his interest. The score would be settled in the finals.

With that thought, he gritted his teeth and ran off in the opposite direction.

The spectators in the studio were momentarily stunned by the scene.

“Wow, he just ran off like that?”

“What about his teammate? He’s just leaving him?”

“What else can you do in this situation?”

“A tactical retreat is the right call—cling to the rankings and maybe make it to the finals.”

“Bah, cowardice is cowardice—don’t make excuses!”

The audience erupted in a flurry of criticism at the man’s retreat.

Meanwhile, both Yang Hao and Zhu Ziyuan noticed the man’s move. Zhu Ziyuan fired a shot that hit the fleeing player, but it wasn’t enough to take him down.

Clearly, with the M24’s damage, even a headshot couldn’t fell the man since his Level 3 helmet, though battered, still offered some protection.

As the enemy ran farther from his line of sight, Zhu Ziyuan tried another shot but missed. The distance wasn’t exactly far, but not close either—and with the terrain, the target quickly vanished over the ridge. Zhu Ziyuan could only set down his M24 in resignation.

What a pity! Had the second shot landed, the man wouldn’t have escaped.

Just as everyone thought Zhu Ziyuan’s team had let that man go, the roar of a motorcycle suddenly rang out from Yang Hao’s position.

After helping Yao Cheng up, Yang Hao clearly noticed the enemy’s retreat. While Yao Cheng was healing up, Yang Hao swiftly made his way to the nearby motorcycle, righted it, and climbed on.

With a roar, he sped off in the direction the enemy had disappeared. Though the motorcycle had taken some damage during the earlier firefight, it was still operational.

Watching Yang Hao ride away, not only the audience in the studio but even Zhang Tian and Zhu Ziyuan were momentarily puzzled. But they quickly understood.

Whether the enemy escaped or not actually didn’t matter to Yang Hao or to Zhang Tian and Zhu Ziyuan. Even if the enemy slipped away, they wouldn’t lose sleep over it. But the point was that the fleeing man should never have entertained any other thoughts before running. If Yang Hao hadn’t reacted swiftly and fired that shot to deter him, Yao Cheng would have been a loot box by now.

If you want to run, just run—no one’s stopping you. But trying to snatch a kill before you go, that’s crossing the line. Attempting to finish off the incapacitated Yao Cheng right under Yang Hao’s nose—wasn’t that a bit much?

Clearly, the enemy’s last, exposed intent thoroughly infuriated Yang Hao. Since the man was courting death, Yang Hao had every intention of obliging him.

Seeing Yang Hao’s move, Yao Cheng, Zhang Tian, and Zhu Ziyuan exchanged a smile, but did nothing further, choosing instead to stay and clear the battlefield. It was a sign of their trust in Yang Hao and recognition of his strength.

In the production booth, Director Lao Jiang seemed to sense something, his eyes lighting up as he immediately switched the camera feed to Yang Hao.

With Yang Hao’s figure back on the screen, the live audience quickly caught on.

“Relentless! You don’t want to mess with this guy!”

“That’s savage—chasing the enemy on a bike?”

“That guy’s really out of luck, running into this squad.”

“Hit a steel wall, ha ha!”

“Serves him right—rat players always get what’s coming!”

“Hmm… this contestant must have a backstory. Care to share it for everyone’s amusement?”

The crowd was excited, full of anticipation, waiting for what would happen next.

On the far side of the mountain, after cresting the ridge, the fleeing man let out a sigh of relief. He glanced at his remaining health and sucked in a sharp breath. After taking two shots, his Level 3 helmet was surely ruined.

He found a nearby tree, dropped prone, and began healing. After using a med kit and downing an energy drink, he suddenly heard a faint sound.

What was that? His heart skipped a beat. After the harrowing escape, he was jumpy as a startled bird.

A motorcycle! He recognized the sound at once. The enemy was giving chase!

As the sound grew closer, he didn’t dare move. If he ran, the enemy would catch up and his position would be exposed. So, he chose to stay hidden, hoping the enemy would pass without noticing him.

The engine noise drew nearer, and his heartbeat quickened.

In the production booth, Lao Jiang cut the camera to the man lying in the grass. The audience in the studio couldn’t help but be speechless at the sight.

Wasn’t this a bit too cowardly?

Soon, the motorcycle arrived. Yang Hao roared past on his bike. As both figures appeared on the same screen, excitement surged through the crowd.

But to their disappointment, Yang Hao seemed not to have noticed the man and sped past him.

Seeing the motorcycle pass by, the man lying on the ground breathed a sigh of relief. But when he realized Yang Hao was alone on the bike, a spark of excitement suddenly flared within him.

A chance! The perfect moment for revenge!

Remembering the humiliation just now, seeing the motorcycle ahead and Yang Hao’s silhouette atop it, he found his outlet. In a flash, he raised his 98K.

As the motorcycle entered his 8x scope, he hesitated, finger on the trigger.

Just as everyone thought he was about to give up, he suddenly switched to his M416. The moment he aimed at Yang Hao, many watching felt their hearts drop.